Golf club cover



Aug. 25, 1964 M. H. ROSENOW 3,145,749

GOLF CLUB COVER Filed May 29, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 nraeHRusenaw Aug. 25, 1964 Filed May 29, 1963 M. H. ROSENOW 3,145,749

GOLF CLUB COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 anragHHusenaw 3% g. Annujigm Aug. 25, 1964 M. H, RosENow 3,145,749

GOLF CLUB COVER Filed May 29, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Shade/#7421) Mcmrqe HRasenUw Aug. 25, 1964 M. H. ROSENOW GOLF CLUB COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 29, 1963 ManragH. usenuw 3% wfimgw 2 7 ,o zvwy United States Patent 3,145,749 GOLF CLUB COVER Monroe H. Rosenow, Brookfield, Wis., assignor to ABC Industries, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 29, 1%3, Ser. No. 234,144 3 Claims. (Cl. 150-52) This invention relates to golf club head covers and has as its purpose to provide a contoured form fitting cover which closely fits the head and adjacent shank portion of a golf club, and at the same time is easy to apply and remove.

Another object of this invention is to provide a weighted golf club head cover, wherein the weight is permanently attached to the cover and so located that as the club is swung with the cover thereon, the weight does not tend to pull away from the end of the club.

More specifically, it is the purpose of this invention to provide a golf club head cover of the weighted type, wherein the weight is located in that portion of the cover which overlies the top of the golf club head, as distinguished from its underside or turf side.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein-disclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the cover of this invention showing the same in position on a golf club;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the several panels or pieces which are secured together to form the cover, showing the same separated and lying flat;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the several component parts or pieces of the cover, illustrating the same still separated from one another but positioned to better illustrate their relationship in the finished cover;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the cover in the act of being applied to the head of a golf club, to illustrate the ease with which this may be done;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the cover of this invention viewed from the top and illustrating the location of the weight; and

FIGURE 6 is a side view of the cover with parts broken away and in section.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 7 designates generally the golf club head cover of this invention which, as will be readily apparent from the drawings, is so constructed that it fits the head 8 and adjacent shank portion 9 of the golf club, like a glove.

The cover is preferably formed of leather, fabric, plastic, or any other suitable pliable or non-rigid material and has a body portion 10 to receive and snugly fit the head 8 of the club and a tubular stem portion 11 projecting from the body portion at an obtuse angle thereice to, and of a size and shape to snugly fit the shank portion 9.- The body portion 10 has top, bottom and side walls 12, 13 and 14, respectively, which merge with the walls of the shank portion 11.

A placket 15 extends from the open end of the stern portion along the length thereof and lengthwise across the bottom wall 13, to terminate in a closed end at a point 16 which is remote from the stern portion and adjacent to the junction of the bottom wall 13 with the side wall 14. A conventional Zipper type closure device 17 having a slider 18 is provided to close the placket in a manner enabling the same to be opened for its entire length.

One of the most significant features of this invention resides in the fact that the placket is in the bottom wall 13 of the cover and that it extends uninterruptedly lengthwise across the bottom wall and up the back of the shank portion to the open end thereof. Preferably, the placket divides the bottom wall into left and right sides of substantially the same size and shape. The significance of having the placket located in the bottom wall as distinguished from other possible locations-as, for instance, along the side of the body portion, as in Patent No. 2,676,803-resides in the fact that this disposition of the placket provides far greater facility in the application and removal of the cover. This will be evident from FIGURE 4. As here shown, when the placket is open the application of pressure upon the bottom wall of the body portion at the closed end of the placket spreads apart the edges of the placket and thus creates a wide opening through which the club head may pass freely during application of the cover.

The attainment of this advantageous feature to a degree also stems from the fact that the side wall 14 of the cover is substantially perpendicular to its top and bottom walls and that, although formed of leather, fabric or the like, it has sufiicient stiffness to prevent edgewise collapse thereof when the relatively light pressure needed to spread apart the edges of the placket is applied in the manner shown in FIGURE 4.

Although this invention is especially useful when the cover is weighted, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, it is of course to be understood that most of its advantageous features are just as important in a non-weighted cover.

If weighted, the weight-which may consist of a metal disc 2t3-is secured to the top wall 12 of the body portion of the cover, preferably by being enclosed in a pocket formed by sewing a circular piece of leather or the like 21 to the top wall 12. In this manner, the weight becomes permanently attached to the cover, but what is most important is the fact that, being carried by the top wall 12, the centrifugal force exerted upon the weight when the club is swung does not tend to pull the weight away from the head of the club but, on the contrary, holds it snugly in place thereon. It is thus possible for the player to swing the weighted club in exactly the same manner as he would swing the club without a cover.

Another advantage achieved by having the weight carried by the top wall 12 of the cover has to do with safety. Obviously, with the weight riding the top of the club head, its presence does not in anywise tend to pull the cover off of the club. There is therefore practically no chance that the cover will fly off the club, no matter how hard or fast it is swung.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the cover is formed of a plurality of pieces or panels that are sewed together and, by virtue of their shape, produce the desired contour or form fitting quality, which characterizes the cover of this invention. There is a top panel 22, a bottom panel 23, which actually consists of two similar right and left-hand pieces 23R and 23L, and a gusset 24. The top panel 22 which forms the top wall 12 of the cover and the adjacent part of the stem portion 11, is pear-shaped, so that it has a wide end 25 and a narrow end portion 26. The bottom panel 23 is of modified pear shape, the modification consisting of relatively flat peaks 27 in its side edges at the junctions of its wide and narrow end portions 28 and 29, respectively.

The gusset 24 is elongated and, as seen in FIGURE 2, slightly curved when lying fiat. Its long edges, viewing the situation from the standpoint of the cover being in place on a golf club, provide a top edge 30 and a bottom edge 31. These two edges are substantially equispaced throughout their length. The end edges 32 of the gusset are disposed substantially at right angles to the top and bottom edges. The corners 33 formed by the junctions of the top edge 30 with the end edges 32 are relatively sharp, but the bottom edge 31 is joined with the end edges by curved edges 34 of relatively large radius.

The gusset 24 is sewed to the wide end portions of the top and bottom panel, with the gusset disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center of the top and bottom panels, and its ends adjacent to the junction of the wide and narrow end portions of the top and bottom panels. The top edge 30 of the gusset is sewed to the edge portion of the top panel, and the remaining edges of the gusset are sewed to the adjacent edge of the bottom panel.

The perimeter of the edges 31, 32 and 34 of the gusset is equal to the perimeter of the edge portion of the bottom panel from one peak 27 thereon around its wide end to the other peak 27; and the perimeter or length of the edge 30 corresponds to that of the wide end portion 25 of the top panel, so that when the gusset is sewed to the top and bottom panels, the peaks 27 meet the corners 33 so that the edges of the narrow portions of the top and bottom panels can be joined, as they are, from this point on to the outer end of the stem.

The described shape and manner of joining the various pieces or panels of the cover gives the finished cover the shape it haswith its body and stem portions forming substantially an obtuse angle and the bottom panel, which is divided into right and left sides by the placket, at the outside of the angle.

Preferably, beading or piping 35 extends along the junctions of the various panels or pieces to give the cover added strength and also to improve its appearance; and to enable the cover to be attached to a golf bag or to other covers, a tab 36 with an eyelet 37 therein is preferably attached to the body portion of the cover directly opposite the closed end of the placket between the gusset 24 and the top panel 22. The tab 36 also provides a convenient grip by which the cover may be held as the slider 18 of the Zipper is pulled shut. The piping 35 and the tab are, of course, sewed in place at the same time the various pieces or panels of the cover are sewed together.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides a golf club head cover which possesses many advantages over those heretofore available, especially when the cover is weighted.

A What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A non-rigid, form-fitting cover for the head and adjacent shank portion of a golf club, comprising:

(A) a top panel to overlie the top of the golf club head and to wrap around substantially half of the adjacent shank portion, said top panel being pear-shaped when lying flat so that it has Wide and narrow end portions;

(B) a bottom panel to overlie the bottom or turf side l of the golf club head and to wrap around the remainder of the shank portion, said bottom panel being of modified pear-shape when lying flat, with the modification from pear-shape consisting of outward relatively flat peaks at its opposite side edges, substantially midway of the length of the panel;

(C) an elongated gusset having substantially equispaced top and bottom edges, and end edges which form substantially sharp corners with said top edge but are connected with the bottom edge of the gusset by curved edges of substantially large radius,

the length of the gusset being such that the perimeter of its bottom, end and curved edges is substantially equal to the perimeter of the edge of the wide portion of the bottom panel from the apex of one of said peaks in its side edges to the other;

(D) means securing the top edge of the gusset to the edge of the wide portion of the top panel, with the gusset disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line of the top panel and the ends of the gusset adjacent to the narrow end of the top panel;

(E) means securing the bottom edge, the end edges, and the curved edges of the gusset to the edge of the wide portion of the bottom panel, with the gusset symmetrically disposed with respect to the bottom panel, and with the substantially sharp corners of the gusset contiguous to the apices of said peaks in the side edges of the bottom panel;

(F) means securirng the edges of the narrow end portions of the top and bottom panels to one another;

(G) a placket dividing the bottom panel substantially on its longitudinal center line into left and right sides; and

(H) separable fastening means on the right and left sides of the bottom panel to close the placket in a manner allowing it to be opened along its entire length,

the gusset forming a side wall substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom walls and having suflicient stiffness to resist edgewise collapse under relatively light pressure, so that when the placket is open, pressure applied upon the bottom wall near the closed end of the placket and toward the top wall, spreads apart the edges of the placket to facilitate application of the cover to a golf club.

2. The golf club cover of claim 1, further characterized by a weight secured to the top panel so that said weight overlies the top of a golf club head to which the cover is applied to preclude any tendency of centrifugal force which acts upon the weight as the club is swung with the cover thereon to separate the fastening means holding the cover in place on the club.

3. A non-rigid, form-fitting cover for the head and adjacent shank portion of a golf club, characterized by:

(A) connected, top, bottom and side walls to respectively overlie the top, bottom and sides of a golf club head and to define a body portion to receive the head of a golf club;

(B) an elongated tubular shank-receiving portion smaller in girth than the body portion and having walls which merge smoothly with those of the body portion,

the body and shank-receiving portions forming an obtuse angle;

(C) a placket in the cover extending uninterruptedly from a point near that portion of the side wall which is most remote from the tubular shank-receiving portion medially along the bottom wall and the adjacent wall of the tubular shank-receiving portion to the open end thereof; and

(D) separable fastening means to close the placket in a manner enabling the placket to be closed or opened from one end thereof to the other,

said cover being further characterized by the fact that the side Wall of its body portion is of substantially uniform width for the entire length thereof, and is substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom walls, said side Wall further having sufi'icient stiffness to resist edgewise collapse under relatively light pressure, so that when the placket is open, pressure applied on the bottom Wall near the closed end of the placket and toward the top wall spreads apart the edges of the placket to facilitate application of the cover to a golf club.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 85,114 Rodgers Sept. 15, 1931 2,422,245 Lauretti June 17, 1947 10 2,676,803 Damoske Apr. 27, 1954 

3. A NON-RIGID, FORM-FITTING COVER FOR THE HEAD AND ADJACENT SHANK PORTION OF A GOLF CLUB, CHARACTERIZED BY: (A) CONNECTED, TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS TO RESPECTIVELY OVERLIE THE TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDES OF A GOLF CLUB HEAD AND TO DEFINE A BODY PORTION TO RECEIVE THE HEAD OF A GOLF CLUB; (B) AN ELONGATED TUBULAR SHANK-RECEIVING PORTION SMALLER IN GIRTH THAN THE BODY PORTION AND HAVING WALLS WHICH MERGE SMOOTHLY WITH THOSE OF THE BODY PORTION, THE BODY AND SHANK-RECEIVING PORTIONS FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE; (C) A PLACKET IN THE COVER EXTENDING UNINTERRUPTEDLY FROM A POINT NEAR THAT POR EWN W6 ''B SIDE WALL WHICH IS MOST REMOTE FROM THE TUBULAR SHANK-RECEIVING PORTION MEDIALLY ALONG THE BOTTOM WALL AND THE ADJACENT WALL OF THE TUBULAR SHANK-RECEIVING PORTION TO THE OPEN END THEREOF; AND (D) SEPARABLE FASTENING MEANS TO CLOSE THE PLACKET IN A MANNER ENABLING THE PLACKET TO BE CLOSED OR OPENED FROM ONE END THEREOF TO THE OTHER, SAID COVER BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT THE SIDE WALL OF ITS BODY PORTION IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM WIDTH FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF, AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, SAID SIDE WALL FURTHER HAVING SUFFICIENT STIFFNESS TO RESIST EDGEWISE COLLAPSE UNDER RELATIVELY LIGHT PRESSURE, SO THAT WHEN THE PLACKET IS OPEN, PRESSURE APPLIED ON THE BOTTOM WALL NEAR THE CLOSED END OF THE PLACKET AND TOWARD THE TOP WALL SPREADS APART THE EDGES OF THE PLACKET TO FACILITATE APPLICATION OF THE COVER TO A GOLF CLUB. 